Why I’m finally a young earth creationist

premierchristianity.com ^ | 8-10-21 | Jim Mason

[fishtank]

Writing in response to Dr Luke Barnes' article on why he no longer believes in young earth creationism, physicist and engineer, Dr Jim Mason shares his own story, and explains why he believes a “plain reading” of Genesis leads to a young earth viewpoint.

[alexander_busek]

The Bible is full of wisdom, but God did not intend it to be a person’s sole source of information, or he wouldn’t have given us eyes, ears, and a brain.

But the Bible gives us some information which actually contradicts many things which we have determined to be otherwise, utilizing our eyes, ears, and brain.

Regards,

[alexander_busek]

Reading this thread, I’m kind of amazed at how many accept the THEORY of evolution like it must be established fact.

Because this theory provides a tremendously coherent explanation of literally thousands of biological phenomena which we could otherwise explain only by saying, "A wizard did it."

Regards,

[Sawdring]

Yeah, like when the Belters put stealth technology on asteroids and pushed them into Earth in the Expanse. Great show!

[old-ager]

> a wizard did it

God’s even better than a wizard!

[viewfromthefrontier]

And it’s the onnnnly theory that does that? We got evolution and now we’re not curious any more? I’m not a scientist, but I’ve never seen any “evidence” for evolution that could not also be used as evidence for, for instance, creation.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"we can never know for sure"

The same thing can be said of any historical analysis. Did Caesar really exist? Did Christ? Yes we have some documents, but which are describing history and which are works of fiction like the Odyssey?

Historians are good at separating fact from fiction so we are pretty much sure that Julius and Augustus Caesar existed. Similarly we can be very certain that Jesus also walked on Earth.

Geologists, anthropologists, etc. have a harder time because the data they are looking at is much older and has no corresponding written record. However, there is an abundance of data and there are good theories that show that the Earth is most likely around 4 billion years old.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

We are still curious. The theory of evolution is itself evolving. There was first a belief in a gradual and continuous evolution. Now there is a stronger belief that evolution occurred in bursts (punctuated equilibrium). There is good evidence that some of what we see was created by catastrophic events. These data are misused by creationists to suggest that everything we see was created by either a catastrophe like The Flood or a singular event like the literal Six Days of Creation.

We used to think that most DNA was "junk DNA", but now they are discovering important aspects of this "junk DNA". Also, Lamarckians were cast into the pit of pseudoscience, but now there is this emerging field of epigenetics that walks and quacks a lot like Lamarck. There is also growing evidence that DNA is not the entire story, but how it interacts with the soup of amino acids it helps to create.

Scientists are open to modifying and even overturning their prior paradigms. After all that is what happened with regard to the initially heretical theory of plate tectonics. It seems that it is the Young Earth Creationists who are the ones that are not curious or open to discussion.

[Lowell1775]

Bookmark.

[alexander_busek]

And it’s the onnnnly theory that does that?

Show me a better theory, that explains more... for which there is more evidence... that is more coherent and consistent... that has a better proven track record... that is more predictive... that has more utility. Every honest evolutionary scientist would be delighted to hear what you've got!

I’m not a scientist, but I’ve never seen any “evidence” for evolution

"Well, I admit that I've never read the Bible, but I've still never read a Bible verse that..." See how silly that sounds?

[...] that could not also be used as evidence for, for instance, creation.

Only if the "creation" to which you are referring is not the Biblical creation. Only if the "creation" to which you are referring is, ultimately, virtually indistinguishable from the Theory of Evolution. Yes: Say that a Biblical day is perhaps actually a hundred million years in length... Say that the exact sequence of the appearance of animals, plants, etc. is not important...Soften up every claim the Bible makes until you are left with nothing but porridge... And then you'll end up with a Creation Story that reads like "On the Origin of Species."

Regards,

[alexander_busek]

God’s even better than a wizard!

The "god" of those who believe in literal Creation Theory is simply a hyped-up wizard.

Regards,

[alexander_busek]

Historians are good at separating fact from fiction so we are pretty much sure that Julius and Augustus Caesar existed. Similarly we can be very certain that Jesus also walked on Earth.

There you go, equivocating again!

The historical evidence of the existence of Julius and Augustus Caesar is qualitatively and quantitatively incomparably better than the evidence supporting the existence of an actual individual named Jesus of Nazareth... or Bethlehem.

Regards,

[rottweiller_inc]

You’re absolutely right because if you go by the Bible the stars weren’t created until the fourth day and there were three more day before that so God’s days must’ve been counting something else.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Not according to Biblical scholars who are in most cases not Christian.

There you go making false claims again.

[BrandtMichaels]

This what website CREATIONSCIENCE.COM convinced me beyond I had always been taught about the Bible. Fascinating life story from the author, Walt Brown, who has spent over 40 years researching and writing this free online book.

Bryan Nickels also does a great job with these videos (bc most folks will not read 450+ pages) separating science fact from fiction.

Hydroplate videos for creationscience.com
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=hydroplate+theory+youtube&docid=608006011665713464&mid=7EF98796E9306885F12F7EF98796E9306885F12F&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

[WhatsItAllAbout]

Check out this link
“https://www.amazon.com/Genesis-Origin-Earth-Perry-Phillips-ebook/dp/B008JIL7HK“

[Theoria]

A day has a varied ‘translation’ in hebrew. Hermeneutics is often Rorschacian speculation.

[rottweiller_inc]

Plus from what I’ve read on translations a lot of times like scribes notes and stuff like that made it into translation and was made as a part of the translation plus the actual text to the Bible in the Old Testament Pentateuch and all that that was lost for a while until It was found by Hilkiah. God I trust man not so much. JB Phillips in the beginning of his translation had some interesting things to say in his translator note well worth reading

[Theo]

Adam was created with the appearance of age. Perhaps the earth was created with the appearance of age as well.

[Boogieman]

"God breathed the universe into being 14 billion years ago, zipped around on His FASTER than light spaceship..."

[HKMk23]

EVERY author puts their cast into a pre-existing setting.

I have — after MANY years beating the CrEvo anvil — come to the conclusion that what you suggest is the “Occam’s Razor” answer to this much-contested Ultimate Question.

GIVEN GOD is greater in power and scope than the Universe He created; He has commanding control over any of it He so desires at any and every moment He so desires, He could have made everything as you presently experience it, with all of history complete as you understand it, and He could have created it all in an instant, down to the very last quark, just seven seconds ago, and there would be ABSOLUTELY NO WAY you could tell. NONE WHATSOEVER.

SINCE that is True, the point of arguing over what we all respectively, differently, think we see is utterly moot.

I quite frankly believe “CrEvo” arguments to be among the very most — if not THE very most — destructive and divisive works of Satan in The Church.

We’re HERE. NOW. We haven’t any responsibility for what happened; our compelling mission, our ASSIGNMENT has to do with the future — ours and the lost around us.

We have a vital message for ALL humanity:
That this astounding GOD so loves and desires to hang out with them all that He has paid the most exorbitant price imaginable to forgive them all of everything (2 Cor. 5:11-21, esp v19) so as to pave the way for that to happen, and the ONLY things required of anyone to take advantage of this incredible offer is to believe it’s true, and repent of having lived like it isn’t.